37: Chapter 35: Youth Is Being Young 37: Chapter 35: Youth Is Being Young Wayne felt extremely weak, round up and he was basically trash, which left Hefei at a loss for words.
If that was considered trash, what did that make her, or those classmates who failed their first attempt at meditation?
Hefei, with a stern face, remained silent.
It was her own fault for speaking carelessly earlier, digging a hole and burying herself in it, reduced to something even less than trash.
Wayne saw Hefei’s cold expression and took it as a sign of his inferior talent, full of grievances but not daring to voice them out.
The blame rested on The Book of Greed, which had altered his image, making the elements wary of coming close.
“Wayne, magic is indeed difficult, but it’s the same for all beginners.
One failure doesn’t prove anything, just keep working hard,” Hefei said, her courage barely holding up as she was running out of things to say.
Wayne nodded in understanding, embracing the principle that diligence could make up for his lack of talent, “I get it now.
It’s okay to be less talented, as long as I put in ten, a hundred times more effort, I can certainly close the gap with the geniuses.”
Give the geniuses a break, they’re still children!
The topic was too heavy, and Hefei felt as though she saw a series of faces devoid of desire and emotion, ashen and gray.
Her daughter, Veronica, was also among them.
She skirted around the subject and flipped the magical tome to the last chapter.
The Hexastar Grimoire did not detail the concept of ‘Void’; theoretical knowledge was taught uniformly by academy instructors, and a thick stack of textbooks was not suitable for inclusion in the book.
Of course, those dozen or so magic formulas could be considered ‘Void’ as well.
Beginners need to grasp the most basic knowledge, to ignite and outline a complete hexagram pattern.
Once the hexagram takes shape and stabilizes, the beginner’s essence of life is significantly strengthened, becoming a mage capable of standing on their own, with a sufficiently qualified mindset to touch upon more knowledge.
Wayne’s first meditation was only moderately successful, and he asked Hefei for a solution.
He wanted to capture the Elemental Radiant Spots quickly, rather than at the current sluggish pace.
The Glamor Lady teacher immediately provided an answer; this problem had troubled all beginners, and there was indeed a simple solution.
Get closer to nature, let one’s body, one’s mind come into greater contact with the Elemental Radiant Spots.
“Take the Earth Element for example.
Every one of us is in contact with the Earth all the time.
You can try walking barefoot in the garden…
wait a second, what are you doing climbing out the window?
Hefei, with a scowl, called Wayne back: “Put your socks on, they stink!
In the presence of a lady, that is not the behavior of a gentleman.”
Methods for contacting the Four Elements weren’t complicated.
To be closer to Earth, simply walk barefoot; the Earth Element would strengthen the mage’s muscles, bones, and inner organs.
But this was not limitless; it depended on talent.
Some mages were not destined for close combat, while others, like Dragonblood Descendants, received strengthening from the Earth Element far longer than normal people.
The remaining three elements follow the same logic—get close to the Water Element by drinking lots of water and bathing often, ideally soaking in the sea;
To be near the Wind Element, expose oneself to the northwestern wind, or use an electric fan if no wind is available;
Being close to the Fire Element is the simplest, just sunbathe often.
Cloudy days are fine too, see that fireplace over there?
Just squat beside it.”
“If you feel your meditation is not very effective, then practice it more, integrating meditation into every aspect of your life.
It may be difficult at first, as your meditative state can be interrupted by wandering thoughts, but with persistence, you can certainly multitask, maintaining a meditative state even while asleep.”
Hefei warned that one should not meditate in front of others, especially when hiding, as it’s easy for others to detect your presence.
She also reminded Wayne that his magic power was recessive, a great advantage, as it allowed him to blend in unnoticed among ordinary people.
Unless he acted out, it was difficult to tell he was a mage!
Of course, due to the nature of the Hexagram, a mage’s aura would change involuntarily, vastly different from that of ordinary people, something uncontrollable.
Someday in the future, if Wayne wished to continue posing as an ordinary person, he would need to learn advanced techniques for concealing his aura.
This involved the use of magic power, something Wayne couldn’t yet grasp.
He needed to take it step by step; too big a step could cause a stumble.
Before they knew it, night had fallen, and Wayne was feeling mentally fatigued from his first meditation session.
Hefei ended the lesson and told him to get a good night’s sleep, promising to continue classes early the next morning.
Staying up for three days and nights was just a figure of speech.
After all, sleep deprivation is an enemy of beauty, and while Wayne was itching to keep going, she longed for some proper sleep herself.
Moreover, it had been many years since she enjoyed a vacation in the villa’s grand house, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit nostalgic.
If only Veronica and…
If only Veronica were here too!
The next day, during the class, something unexpected happened.
It was in the evening.
Wayne was engrossed in Hefei’s lessons and could not pull himself away.
He forgot to feed the white pigeon at mealtime.
The pigeon itself popped out of the hat, just in time for Hefei to see everything clearly.
“Wayne, where did this messenger bird come from?”
Hefei was very surprised; Wayne had neither the systematic training of the academy nor was he a bona fide believer.
Where did he get the messenger bird?
“At the Sun Goddess’s believer gathering point, a friend gave it to me.”
Wait, you’ve been to the Sun Goddess’s gathering point?”
Hefei was greatly surprised; first the Moonlight Goddess, now the Sun Goddess.
Death and Darkness too, surely their believers hadn’t also intervened?
“Uh-huh, I just came out of there yesterday.
They were really enthusiastic,” Wayne commented sardonically, releasing a slick combination and then saying, “Teacher, you won’t let me try Elemental Magic, but what about Messenger Bird Magic?
Teach me during the break, will you?”
Hefei didn’t respond, she adjusted her glasses, sensing that the situation was not as simple as it seemed.